Portulaca plant named ‘Kakegawa CY2’

ABSTRACT

Portulaca ‘Kakegawa CY2’ is a new variety of  Portulaca oleracea . This plant has a vigorous, spreading plant growth which produces unique yellow color with purplish red streaks on the flowers.

Genus and species: Portulaca oleracea.

Variety denomination: ‘Kakegawa CY2’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Portulacaplant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kakegawa CY2’. Portulaca‘Kakegawa CY2’ is a new variety of Portulaca oleracea. The plant has avigorous spreading growth habit and can be used as a groundcover. It canalso be used in a potted or hanging basket presentation. The invention'sflowers are a unique yellow color with purplish red streaks. The flowersare single and measure approximately 4.5 centimeters in diameter whenfully open. The plant performs well in hot and dry climates. The plantis very resistant to rain, heat and drought.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The new cultivar is propagated asexually from vegetative cuttings. Theasexual reproduction establishes that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described in successive generations. ‘Kakegawa CY2’has been reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif., and all of thecharacteristics thereof have been determined to be firmly fixed.

The new variety originated from a hybridization made in June, 1997between the varieties ‘Duet Yellow’ (not patented) and ‘Duet Rose’ (notpatented). F₁ seed was sown from this cross in February, 1998 and threeplants were selected for having striped petals. Ten plants werevegetatively propagated from each selection. In June, 1998 and again inSeptember, 1998 the plants from each selection were vegetativelypropagated and evaluated for stability. One of the original selectionswas selected as the most appealing and most stable. This selectionpossessed predominantly yellow petals with numerous streaks of purplishred, a red pistil with red filaments and yellow anthers. In April, 1999the selected line was vegetatively propagated again and stability ofhabit, color and petal striping was confirmed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings serve by color photographic means toillustrate the new plant variety, ‘Kakegawa CY2’. The colors arerepresented as true as possible using conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a ‘Kakegawa CY2’ flower illustrating itscolor and shape.

FIG. 2 is a view of several plants of the new cultivar growing in a 35.0cm diameter pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is based on observations and measurements from14-16 week old plants grown in 15 cm pots at Salinas, Calif. Plants werepropagated from vegetative cuttings and grown in a glass greenhouse.These plants were grown in plastic pots containing a peat moss-basedmedium. Soluble fertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and18% potassium were applied every fourth irrigation. The plants weretypically watered twice per week. Pots were topdressed with a slowrelease fertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18%potassium. The average air temperature was 24° C.

Color designations were made according to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society ofLondon, England.

Origin: Japan.

Parentage:

Femal parent.—‘Duet Yellow’ (not patented).

Male parent.—‘Duet Rose’ (not patented).

Classification:

Family.—Portulacaceae.

Genus.—Portulaca.

Species.—oleracea.

Commercial.—Portulaca/Purslane ‘Kakegawa CY2’.

Plant:

Growth habit.—Prostrate.

Plant height.—23.0 cm.

Spread.—85 cm (in a six-inch pot) life cycle perennial.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—2 weeks.

Time to bloom from propagation.—6-8 weeks.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Vegetative cuttings root in 7-10 daysafter sticking into a rooting medium like a peat moss based mix; thecuttings will form roots without the use of overhead mist.

Flowering season/requirements.—Spring to fall; flowers year round attemperatures of 24°-35° C.; day neutral light requirements.

Temperature.—Will not tolerate temperatures below 7° C.

Stem:

Color.—Yellowish green (144C).

Anthocyanin.—RHS 178B (greyed-red).

Pubescence.—Glabrous.

Stem description.—Round, slightly rough with lateral ridges.

Diameter.—5.0 mm.

Length of internode.—3.0-3.5 cm.

Leaf:

Apex.—Acute.

Base.—Rounded.

Arrangement.—Alternate; leaves appear whorled towards the apex whereinternodes are not elongated.

Leaf color.—Upper surface RHS 137C (green); lower surface RHS 138C(green).

Anthocyanin.—RHS 178B (greyed-red).

Margin.—Entire.

Length (average).—3.0 cm.

Width (average).—1.5 cm.

Shape.—Oblong.

Thickness.—1.0 mm.

Texture.—Smooth.

Petiole color.—RHS N144D (yellow-green).

Petiole length.—2.0 mm.

Petiole diameter.—2.0-3.0 mm.

Flower:

Calyx.—2 sepals; 1.0 cm×8.0 mm; free.

Sepal shape.—Elliptic.

Sepal texture.—Smooth.

Sepal margin.—Entire, slightly sinuate.

Sepal apex shape.—Cuspidate.

Sepal color.—The color gets lighter toward the margin until the tissuebecomes transparent RHS 146C (yellow-green).

Corolla.—5 petals; free.

Flower diameter.—4.0-4.5 cm.

Bud color.—RHS 138B (green).

Bud shape.—Round and pointed at the top.

Bud size.—Length is 1.1-1.2 cm; diameter is 8 mm.

Bud surface.—Shiny.

Duration of flower life.—One day.

Flowering habit.—Determinate.

Placenta arrangement.—Central.

lnflorescence type.—Solitary, sessile.

Stamens.—50; approximately 1 cm in length; filament color RHS 63A(red-purple); anther color RHS 6C (yellow).

Stigma.—RHS 63A (red-purple).

Pistils.—1; branched on the top with 5 branches.

Style.—4.0-5.0 mm; RHS 63A (red-purple).

Petal size.—3.0×2.8-3.0 cm (l×w).

Petal shape.—Tri-lobed with inner lobe smaller than two outer lobes.

Petal margin.—Crenate.

Petal apex shape.—Retuse.

Petal texture.—Smooth and soft.

Petal color.—Upper surface RHS 13B (yellow) with RHS 70A (red-purple;lower surface RHS 13B (yellow) with RHS 70A (red-purple); base of petalinner surface RHS 13B (yellow); outer surface RHS 70A (red-purple). Thepetals are irregularly variegated yellow and pink with streaks runningthroughout the length of the petal. The percentage of the petal surfacethat is striped with pink color varies from flower to flower and betweenpetals of the same flower. The width of the striping is irregular; i.e.,the pink color can be “thick” so as to obviously show the yellow in thepetal surface, or the pink color can be “wide” so as to cause a highpercentage of the leaf as pink.

Produces seed.—No.

Habit.—The flowers bloom during midmorning and close at night. Eachflower blooms only once and are produced throughout the growing season.The plants produce flowers regardless of day length; the plants are dayneutral. Plants can have 40 to 50 open flowers at one time and have nofragrance.

Hardiness.—Plant is heat tolerant; thrives in heat and humidity; plantis not cold tolerant or below 7° C.

DISEASE AND INSECT RESISTANCE

No unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER KNOWN VARIETIES

‘Kakegawa CY2’ is most similar to the variety ‘Duet Yellow’ (notpatented). Both plants have similar habit and foliage, however ‘KakegawaCY2’ has more stem anthocyanin color than ‘Duet Yellow’. Additionally,where ‘Duet Yellow’ has yellow petals with a rose margin and finestreaks of purplish red, ‘Kakegawa CY2’ has yellow petals with numerousthicker purplish red streaks.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Portulaca plant as shown and describedherein.